The FCC is warning hotels and other commercial establishments not to block customers’ personal Wi-Fi hotspots. “The Enforcement Bureau has seen a disturbing trend in which hotels and other commercial establishments block wireless consumers from using their own personal Wi-Fi hot spots on the commercial establishment’s premises,” the commission writes in an enforcement advisory. “As a result, the Bureau is protecting consumers by aggressively investigating and acting against such unlawful intentional interference.”
The FCC noted that Marriott agreed to settle a Wi-Fi blocking investigation by agreeing to pay a civil penalty of $600,000. The commission adds that the operation, marketing, or sale of any tpe of jamming equipment is illegal.
If you believe your personal hotspot has been blocked you can file a complaint at visit www.fcc.gov/complaints.
You can read the complete advisory here.
As Brendan Sasso notes at National Journal, Marriott and others have filed a petition with the FCC asking that they be allowed to block Wi-Fi hotspots for security reasons. Writes Sasso, “The FCC hasn’t officially ruled on Marriott’s petition yet. But it’s clear which way the commission is heading.”
About the Author
Rick Nelson
Contributing Editor
Rick is currently Contributing Technical Editor. He was Executive Editor for EE in 2011-2018. Previously he served on several publications, including EDN and Vision Systems Design, and has received awards for signed editorials from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. He began as a design engineer at General Electric and Litton Industries and earned a BSEE degree from Penn State.